Stocking.



. PATBNTED JAN. 8, 1907.

A. F. A. KING.

STOCKING. APPLICATION 11.31) novy1a. 190a.

' ami m THE mmms toe much sooner stocking,

ALBERT F. KING, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STOCKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed November 13,1906. Serial No. 348,286.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. A. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stockings, of which the following is a specification.

It is a matter of every-day experience that a tightly-fitting stocking will wear out at the than a loosely-fitting one. This wear is most perceptible where the fabric comes in contact with the end of the great toe, especially with the projecting end of the great-toe nail. The tension of the fabric over the nail of the great toe and the attrition of the nail against the stocking is very much greater in tightly-fitting stockings than in those which fit the foot loosely.

When a foot is introduced into an ordinary contact of the end of the great toe with the toe of the fabric. This produces a tension, causing a cutting of the fabric and an attrition which soon forms a hole therein.

It is the object of my invention to so form the stocking that it will fit all portions of the foot snugly except that portion in the region of the end of the great toe and to provide at this point a pocket, cap, or enlargement Which shall surround the end of the great toe loosely, thereby relieving the stocking at this point from tension and friction, which usually result, in ordinary stockings,in quickly wearing out the fabric.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a foot with my improved stocking thereon. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the stocking on a foot. Fig. 3 is a view of a right foot with my improved stocking thereon, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of a left foot.

Inasmuch as I provide a pocket or cap for the front end of the great toe, it is necessary that the stockings of each pair should be shaped differently-that is, that one of the stockings should be shaped for the rightfoot and the other for the left foot--somewhat as shoes are shaped differently for the two feet.

Each stocking is formed witha pocket or nail-cap A, adapted to receive the end of the its movement is arrested chiefly by.

great. toe, but of such size as to fit the toe loosely, thus avoiding the tension and stretching of the fabric which, together with the friction of the nail during the ordinary motions of the foot, have heretofore worn the fabric into a hole. While I have said that the pocket fits the toe loosely, I wish it understood that there is not such surplus of material as to produce uncomfortable wrinkles. The pocket may be,and preferably is, formed. in the goods in well-known ways in the process of knitting the stocking. It may be advisable to make the pockets of differentcolored yarns from the remainder of the.

stocking in order that one may quickly perceive which stocking is for the right foot and which for the left.

In drawing one of my improved stockings onto the foot the movement of the foot into the stocking is not arrested by the great toe, as heretofore, but is arrested by a much larger surface-via, the surface of the remaining four toes, the instep, and other parts of the foot-no strain being produced on the fabric in the region of the great-toe nail. In order to avoid this tension on the great toe, some have heretofore worn stockings that were too long at the toe but this produced a I wrinkling or doubling over of the fabric at the toe, which was objectionable. In my stocking a neat fit can be produced everywhere, there being a fullness in the great-toenail region only, and this fullness is not so great as to produce wrinkles or a doubling in any way objectionable.

I have used the word stocking generically as covering socks, hose, &c., of all kinds.

I claim as my invention A stocking closed at the toe and fitting the foot snugly at all points except in the region of the end of the great toe Where a fullness is produced providing a dilated pocket or nailcap which prevents tension and friction of the stocking against the nail.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

. ALBERT F. A. KING.

Witnesses:

LLOYD B. WIGHT, E. B. FRANZONI. 

